Sail powered trolley device



June 2.7, 1967 lR. L.. FREGEAU 3,327,976

SAIL POWERED TROLLEY DEVICE Filed March 2, 1966 United States Patent O 3,327,976 SAIL PGWERED TRULLEY DEVICE Robert L. Fregeau, Murrow Road, RFD. 1, Tolland, Conn. 06084 Filed Mar. 2, 1966, Ser. No. 531,151 4 Claims. (Cl. 244-155) This invention relates to a sail powered trolley device. More particularly, this invention is directed to a device which, in its unfurled state and solely due to lthe urging of air currents, will travel along a line until it contacts a stop at which time it will be collapsed and stowed so as to enable it to return along the line to its point of origin in the face of the air currents. Accordingly, the general objects of this invention are to provide new and novel apparatus of such character.

While not limited thereto in its utility, this invention is readily adaptable for use in conjunction with a kite to ,thereby enhance the pleasure derived from and the interest in kite flying. In the past, self-powered devices which travel up a kite string have been proposed and, in some cases, fabricated. These prior art devices took two basic forms. Firstly, there were motor powered devices which, as should be obvious, were heavy, relatively expensive and relatively complex from an assembly standpoint. The second class of prior art devices comprised those which eliminated the motor and traveled up the kite string under the urging of the wind. The prior art Wind propelled devices either could not be returned down the kite string because of an inability to automatically collapse or fold the portions thereof which were acted upon -by the wind to produce the desired motion or, where the devices were self-folding, their relative mechanical complexity made the cost thereof so high as to be prohibitive to most kite enthusiasts.

This invention overcomes Ithe aforementioned deficiencies of the prior art by providing a novel, sail-powered trolley device adaptable to travel along a line.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a sail-powered trolley device.

It is another object of this invention to provide a selffolding, sail-powered trolley device.

It is yet another object of this linvention to provide a sail-powered trolley device characterized by an automatically stowable sail.

It is also an object of this invention Ito provide a selfpowered tr-olley device of less complexity than those previously available.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a self-powered, self-folding trolley device which is less expensive than previously available devices of such character.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a sail-powered trolley device which is readily adapt-able to sale in kit form.

These and other objects of this invention are accomplished by providing apparatus employing a foldable sail. With the sail unfurled, the apparatus may be urged along a line by air currents. The apparatus 4is provided with a release mechanism which, upon hitting a stop in the line along which the device is traveling, causes the sail to be folded and stowed thereby reducing the wind drag and enabling the apparatus, if the line is inclined, to travel back to its point of origin in the face of the air currents.

This invention may be better understood and its numerous advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements in the various gures and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a first embodiment of this invention with the sail unfurled.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the apparatus of FIGURE 1 with the sail furled and stowed.

FIGURE 3 is a partial side view of the apparatus of FIGURE 1 showing the sail folding mechanism in greater detail.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of the portion of the apparatus depicted lin FIGURE 3.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a first embodiment of this invention is shown traveling up a kite string 10 toward a kite, not shown, which is being held aloft by strong air currents. The apparatus comprises a keel spar 12 and, extending therefrom to both sides, a sail spreading member 14. Sail spreading member 14 fits into a notch provided therefor 4in the top of keel spar 12 and is held in place by appropriate means such as string or an elastic band. Keel spar 12 and sail spreader 14 may be comprised of a lightweight wood or plastic and, while they may be permanently put together as, for example, by gluing, use of means such as an elastic band is to be preferred since disassembly and storage is thereby facilitated.

The device is suspended from string 10 by a pair of pulleys 14S- 16. The supports `for the pulleys are suitably aixed to the top of keel spar 12. Adjacent each of pulleys 16-16 is a guide member 18 18. The string 10 passes through guides 18-18 before' contacting the first pulley and after leaving the second pulley. The function of guides 18-18, which are comprised of loops of wire suitably attached to keel spar 12 and extending upwardly therefrom is to prevent the device from falling off string 10 if the string should jump out of the grooves in pulleys 16-16. Guides 18-18 also keep string 10 lined up with pulleys 16-16 to prevent the string from leaving the pulleys during some of the gyrations that occur as the device climbs the string. It should be noted that while pulleys 16-16 facilitate movement of the device along string 10, the pulleys could -be eliminated and the device suspended by guides 18-18 themselves. However, when string 10* is nonmetallic, the elimination of the pulleys would tend to cause undesirable wear and, of course, the increased friction would require that a larger sail be used to make the device climb.

The device is powered by a sail 20 which is shown in FIGURE 1 in its unfurled position. The unfurled position of sail 20 is maintained by a plurality of shroud lines 22. Lines 22 are attached at their first ends about the periphery of sail 20 and at their second ends to a first end of an expansible member which, in t-he usual instance, will in part comprise an elastic band 24. As may best be seen from FIGURE 3, elastic band 24 is formed with a loop on the end thereof. Extending from this loop and completing the expansible member is a short length of line 26 which itself has a loop on the end thereof which is not attached to elastic band 24. The second ends of shroud lines 22 are tied to line 26. In t-he case where a square or rectangular sail is employed, the shroud lines which are attached to the four corners of the sail pass through a wire guide 28 Iattached at the rear of keel spar 12 before being attached to the expansible member. The shroud line attached to the upper 'corners of the sail also, prior to passing through guide 28, pass through guides =30 30 axed adjacent the ends of sail spreading member 14. As will be described in greater detail below, expansible member 24 land thus shroud lines 22 are, with the sail in the unfurled position as shown in FIGURE l, releasably held at a point adjacent the forward end of keel spar 24. Accordingly, the sail will be held open by the shroud lines which pass through guides 28 and 30 and the sail and shroud lines form `a closed loop.

As may best be seen from FIGURE 3, the second end of elastic band 24 is aiiixed to the top of keel spar 12 at point 32. The expansible member extends rearwardly from point 32, passes about the end of keel spar 12 and through guide 28 an-d, in its expanded or stretched position, extends toward the front of the lkeel spar. As noted above, the r-st end of elastic band 24 is attached to line 26 which has a loop at its free end. When the sail is in the unfurled position, this loop is held by la release mechanism 34. Thus, the ends of the shroud lines are held at a point adjacent the junction of keel spar 12 and sail spreading member 14. Release mechanism 34 is rotatably mounted adjacent the front or leading end of keel spar 12 and has a portion 36 through which string 1t) passes. Upon hitting a stop 3S attached to string 10, portion 36 of the release mechanism will be forced rearwardly of the device thereby, as may be seen most clearly from FIGURE 2, opening release mechanism 34.

Also attached to keel spar 12, and extending from the side thereof opposite to that from which pulleys 16 are mounted, is a sail folding and stowing means comprising a canister 40 and a reefing ring 42. Canister 40 is open at bot-h ends and is attac-hed to keel spar 12 by suitable means such as tape or a pair of elastic bands 44-44. The reefing ring 42 may be held in position by the same means which holds sail spreading member 14 to keel spar 12. Considering the unfurled sail condition, as shown in FIGURE l, expansible member 24 and the `shroud lines which pass through Vguide 28 all pass through canister 40. The remaining shroud lines pass through reeling ring 42 from the front prior to attachment to line 26.

In the usual instance, the device will be acquired in kit form with t-he guides, pulleys and release mechanism attached to keel :spar 12 and sail spreading member 14. In assembly, the sail spreading member 14 and reeng ring 42 will first be aftixed to keel spar 12 `and then tubular member 40 will similarly be attached `to the keel spar. Next, the elastic band 24 will be attached to keel spa-r at point 32 and the shroud lines 22 attached to sail 20. The proper shroud lines will then be passed through guides 3l) and 2S and the sail will be folded into canister 40 as shown in FIGURE 2. The free ends of the shroud lines are then attached to` the line 26 which extends from `the free end of elastic band 24 thereby completing assembly.

In operation, the sail is unfurled by extending the elastic band 24 and pulling sail 20 forward and out of canister 40. The loop on line 2rd is placed in release mechanism 34 and the release is closed thereby holding the elastic band 24 in its stretched position. When the wind catches sail 20, the device will travel up the kite string until portion 36 of release mechanism Y34 strikes stop 38. Upon striking the stop, the release mechanism 34 is opened thereby releasing the expansible member. Elastic band 24 then contracts and draws shroud lines 22 and thus also sail through reefing ring 42 and into canister 40. The sail having thus been folded and stowed in canister 40, the wind drag is reduced and the device will travel back down line 10 under its own weight to its point of origin.

While a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, various modications and substitutions may Cil be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that thi-s invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.

What is claimed is:

l. A sail-powered trolley device comprising:

a keel spar;

a sail spreading member extending outwardly from said keel spar;

sail folding means attached to said keel spar;

guide means attached to said keel spar and extending therefrom, said guide means serving to support said device from a line;

an expansible member, said expansible member being attached at one end to said keel spar;

a foldable sail;

a plurality of :shroud lines attached at one of their ends about the periphery of said sail, all of said lines being attached at their opposite ends to the other end of said expansible member, at least some of said lines passing through said sail folding means prior to attachment to said expansible member;

means afxed to said sail spreading member for slidably supporting at least some of said shroud lines adjacent the ends of said sail spreading member;

means aii'ixed to said keel spar for slidably supporting at least some of said shroud lines, including those which pass through the support means affixed to said sail spreading member, at a point rearwardly of said sail folding means; and

a release mechanism supported on said keel spar in front of said sail folding member, said release mechanism Iholding said other end of said expansible member after expansion thereof, said sail being unfurled when said expansible member is held by said release mechanism, release of said mechanism causing said expansible member to pull said shroud lines through said sail folding means thereby folding said sail.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sail folding means comprises:

`a tubular member for receiving and stowing said sail in the furled position.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said expansible member comprises:

an elastic band, said band in its expanded position passing through said tubular member to said release mechanism.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said sail folding means further comprises:

a reeng ring positioned in front of said tubular member.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 622,721 3/ 1927 France.

9,004 4/191'1 Great Britain.

MILTON BUCI-ILER, Primary Examiner.

P. E. SAUBERER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SAIL-POWERED TROLLEY DEVICE COMPRISING: A KEEL SPAR; A SAIL SPREADING MEMBER EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID KEEL SPAR; SAID FOLDING MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID KEEL SPAR; GUIDE MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID KEEL SPAR AND EXTENDING THEREFROM, SAID GUIDE MEANS SERVING TO SUPPORT SAID DEVICE FORM A LINE; AN EXPANSIBLE MEMBER, SAID EXPANSIBLE MEMBER BEING ATTACHED AT ONE END TO SAID KEEL SPAR; A FOLDABLE SAIL; A PLURALITY OF SHROUD LINES ATTACHED AT ONE OF THEIR ENDS ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID SAIL, ALL OF SAID LINES BEING ATTACHED AT THEIR OPPOSITE ENDS TO THE OTHER END OF SAID EXPANSIBLE MEMBER, AT LEAST SOME OF SAID LINES PASSING THROUGH SAID SAIL FOLDING MEANS PRIOR TO ATTACHMENT TO SAID EXPANSIBLE MEMBER; MEANS AFFIXED TO SAID SAIL SPREADING MEMBER FOR SLIDABLY SUPPORTING AT LEAST SOME OF SAID SHROUD LINES ADJACENT THE ENDS OF SAID SAIL SPREADING MEMBER; 